My conroe system configuration

[barbecue1]

I want to build a conroe system myself and I come up with the following configuration:

CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 $220
MB MSI P965 Neo P965 $100
Memory OCZ Gold Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 PC2-5400 Gold GX XTC Dual Channel $150
HD Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB $80
VC Sapphire Radeon X1600 PRO PCI Express 256MB DDR2 $90
Monitor 20 inch LCD ViewSonic VX2025WM $300
Audio Integrated 7.1 $0
Network Integrated network card $0
Case Xion II Black ATX Mid-Tower Case $65
DVD NEC ND3550A $30
WC: Zonet / ZEW1602 (wireless) $30

Total: about $1035

Is there be any problem or conflict with my configuration? I appreciate any suggestions! Thanks!

 

[Wolfshadw]

I don't see any problems, but I don't see a power supply either. Is it included with the case? Does it match the main power connector for your motherboard? Does it meet minimum system requirements for your other system components (graphics card)?

-Wolf sends

 

[barbecue1]

Sorry, I forgot to say that the case includes a 450W power supply. is it enough for my system?

 

[nikolokolus]

I agree with wolfshadow; looks like a pretty well thought out budget build.

However, regardless if the case includes a bundled power supply, I strongly urge you to spend at least $50 on a decent power supply (something like an antec >400 watt). Budled power supplies are often times just fine, but after building twenty or so systems for clients with bundled power supplies, then getting several complaints, months later, about random reboots and other instability. I now insist on decent power supplies with low ripple and strong amps on the 5v and 12v rails. It adds some cost but in the end doesn't make up for the added headaches.

 

[barbecue1]

In the MB manufacturer's website, I find the following info:

Main Memory
• Supports 4 unbuffered DIMM of 1.8 Volt DDR2 SDRAM
• Supports up to 8GB memory size (with DDR2 800, memory only up to 2GB)
• Support Dual Channel DDR2 533/677/800MHz and up

Due to the High Performance Memory design, motherboards or system configurations may or may not operate smoothly at the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) standard settings (BIOS Default on the motherboard) such as DDR2 voltage, memory speeds and memory timing. Please confirm and adjust your memory setting in the BIOS accordingly for better system stability.
Example: Kingston HyperX DDR2-800 PC6400 operates at 2.0V, 4-4-4-12.
For more information about specification of high performance memory modules, please check with your Memory Manufactures for more details.

So this MB supports 1.8v for memory, however, I find the following info for the memory I intend to purchase:

"Timing: 4-4-4-12
Voltage: 1.9V"

Will there be any problem since the voltage of the memory is 1.9v rather than 1.8v?

 

[nikolokolus]

Sorry, I forgot to say that the case includes a 450W power supply. is it enough for my system?

watts aren't everything, you want to look for the amps on the 5v and 12 volt rails.

if the 5v rail is less than 30 amps and the combined voltage of the 12 volt rail(s) is less than 20 amps I'd be . . . leery. It could work fine, but it might not perform all that well under load (ie. gaming, etc.)

 

[nikolokolus]

The memory thing can be tricky. If your motherboard allows you to adjust voltages up to 1.9 v you should be fine. OCZ memory tends to run on higher volts than other memory for some reason.

MSI should have a "qualified" or "recommended" memory section for its motherboards. I'd take a peak at that table and see what they suggest.

 

[barbecue1]

thanks for all of your replies!

I checked in OCZ's website but did not find the MSI P965 from the list. I guess this MB is new and thus not included yet in the list. However, I did find a review of this MB and it shows that the voltage of memory can be adjusted. Does it mean we can are safe to use memories with high voltage as long as we can set it up in BIOS?

 

[barbecue1]

nikolokolus, here is the link of the case (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=1289171&sku=A406-1028), but I could not find the information as you said, like 5v and 12v rails.

 

[enforcerfx]

I want to build a conroe system myself and I come up with the following configuration:

CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 $220
MB MSI P965 Neo P965 $100
Memory OCZ Gold Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 PC2-5400 Gold GX XTC Dual Channel $150
HD Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB $80
VC Sapphire Radeon X1600 PRO PCI Express 256MB DDR2 $90
Monitor 20 inch LCD ViewSonic VX2025WM $300
Audio Integrated 7.1 $0
Network Integrated network card $0
Case Xion II Black ATX Mid-Tower Case $65
DVD NEC ND3550A $30
WC: Zonet / ZEW1602 (wireless) $30

Total: about $1035

Is there be any problem or conflict with my configuration? I appreciate any suggestions! Thanks!

The x1600pro is a pile of s**t. I suggest a 7600GT. You will see better performance on that. As of the PSU, i suggest you swap it out for something thats about 60 bucks or more(antec, enermax, etc.) 450w
should be plenty.

 

[nikolokolus]

thanks for all of your replies!

I checked in OCZ's website but did not find the MSI P965 from the list. I guess this MB is new and thus not included yet in the list. However, I did find a review of this MB and it shows that the voltage of memory can be adjusted. Does it mean we can are safe to use memories with high voltage as long as we can set it up in BIOS?

After looking at MSI's website it looks like they are merely stating that 1.8 volts is the default memory setting, and by mentioning that the kingston memory needs to be adjust to 2.0 volts I'd say with 99.9% certainty that you can adjust the voltage to 1.9 volts (my old MSI k8neo did the same - undervolted by default), If you really are unsure you can try to find some RAM that comes stock at 1.8 volts.

 

[barbecue1]

Thanks enforcerFX. But I dont want to have a gaming pc, I will use it mainly for my study, like programming. I also would like to have a video card capable for the forthcoming windows vista's aero glass-like interface. is x1600 pro good enough?

 

[barbecue1]

thanks for all of your replies!

I checked in OCZ's website but did not find the MSI P965 from the list. I guess this MB is new and thus not included yet in the list. However, I did find a review of this MB and it shows that the voltage of memory can be adjusted. Does it mean we can are safe to use memories with high voltage as long as we can set it up in BIOS?

After looking at MSI's website it looks like they are merely stating that 1.8 volts is the default memory setting, and by mentioning that the kingston memory needs to be adjust to 2.0 volts I'd say with 99.9% certainty that you can adjust the voltage to 1.9 volts (my old MSI k8neo did the same - undervolted by default), If you really are unsure you can try to find some RAM that comes stock at 1.8 volts.
Thanks a lot for your help! So what i need to do is to manually adjust the memory voltage to 1.9v since the MB does not adjust automatically.

 

[nikolokolus]

Thanks a lot for your help! So what i need to do is to manually adjust the memory voltage to 1.9v since the MB does not adjust automatically.

right.

As for the power supply included with the case I found this on xion's website.

12 volts are rated at 18 amps which is pretty borderline and certainly caps your ability to upgrade to more power hungry components.

 

[barbecue1]

This is my first time trying to assemble a PC. Do I need to purchase additional cables or other stuffs or the components already include all I need to assemble a PC?

 

[nikolokolus]

The motherboard should come with IDE, SATA and some misc. usb header cables and the like.

Everything you purchase should include all of the necessary components needed to assemble the computer. If you come up short, a quick trip to CompUSA or your local computer shop should set you right.

Get a philips head screwdriver with a long driver for those hard to reach places in your case, some tweezers or needle nose pliers and some wire cutters (for cutting cable ties) is also handy.

 

[barbecue1]

what is the difference between the DDR2 667 PC2 5300 and DDR2 667 PC2 5400? They all run at 667MHz.

 

[PJ101]

great question.. i await an answer

 

[turboflame]

Thanks enforcerFX. But I dont want to have a gaming pc, I will use it mainly for my study, like programming. I also would like to have a video card capable for the forthcoming windows vista's aero glass-like interface. is x1600 pro good enough?

Unless you game a lot, the x1600pro should be fine and should be more than able to run the new graphics in vista. I have the agp version of that card in my machine and it can run bf2 fine on 1024x768, aax2, medium and high settings.

Here is a link about windows vista and its requirements

 

[nikolokolus]

what is the difference between the DDR2 667 PC2 5300 and DDR2 667 PC2 5400? They all run at 667MHz.

It's marketing nonsense, because DDR2 667 X 8 = 5336, so some round down and others round up. same difference either way.

 

[barbecue1]

Thanks a lot for your help! So what i need to do is to manually adjust the memory voltage to 1.9v since the MB does not adjust automatically.

right.

As for the power supply included with the case I found this on xion's website.

12 volts are rated at 18 amps which is pretty borderline and certainly caps your ability to upgrade to more power hungry components.

Thanks again for your help. My ordered component all arrived today. I tried to assemble them but have a big problem: the monitor simply cannot detect any signal.

All the components are the same as listed in this page except three:
1. the case I ordered is:XION Ultimate Engineering XON-003 Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450W Power Supply (link:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811208002).
2. I ordered another video card: SAPPHIRE 100106L Radeon X850XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail(link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102688).
3. the monitor I bought is a 20' samsung 204B.

I am sure the monitor is working perfectly, because it works when I connected it to my laptop. The motherboard should have no problem neither as all fans connected to it function without any problem. However, I have no clue whether the video card is defective or not, because I dont have another computer or another video card to test, but the video card fan does work. I suspect that the problem could be due to the following:

1. the video card may demand a better PSU to function properly, but I think the during the boot up stage, the current PSU should be good enough as I dont have the opportunity to run any game yet and thus it should not consume that much power.
2. The video card is defective. So the monitor receives no signal.
3. The CPU maybe damaged when I installed it. However, the motherboard around the CPU is generating heat, so it may still functions. But I have no way to tell as I even cannot see anthing.

Could anyone give me any advice to solve this problem. Thanks!

 

[clue69less]

1. the video card may demand a better PSU to function properly, but I think the during the boot up stage, the current PSU should be good enough as I dont have the opportunity to run any game yet and thus it should not consume that much power.
2. The video card is defective. So the monitor receives no signal.
3. The CPU maybe damaged when I installed it. However, the motherboard around the CPU is generating heat, so it may still functions. But I have no way to tell as I even cannot see anthing.

I'd recommend a careful cable check. Did you power the graphics card with a PCI-e cable? Check that the GPU card is seated properly. Check that the RAM is properly seated. Do you have a good DVM?

 

[barbecue1]

1. the video card may demand a better PSU to function properly, but I think the during the boot up stage, the current PSU should be good enough as I dont have the opportunity to run any game yet and thus it should not consume that much power.
2. The video card is defective. So the monitor receives no signal.
3. The CPU maybe damaged when I installed it. However, the motherboard around the CPU is generating heat, so it may still functions. But I have no way to tell as I even cannot see anthing.

I'd recommend a careful cable check. Did you power the graphics card with a PCI-e cable? Check that the GPU card is seated properly. Check that the RAM is properly seated. Do you have a good DVM? Thanks for your advice! I rechecked and the GC was also powered by a 6-pin cable from the PSU and it was well seated, so was the RAM. But I still cannot see any signal in the monitor.

 

[barbecue1]

thanks for all of your replies!

I checked in OCZ's website but did not find the MSI P965 from the list. I guess this MB is new and thus not included yet in the list. However, I did find a review of this MB and it shows that the voltage of memory can be adjusted. Does it mean we can are safe to use memories with high voltage as long as we can set it up in BIOS?

After looking at MSI's website it looks like they are merely stating that 1.8 volts is the default memory setting, and by mentioning that the kingston memory needs to be adjust to 2.0 volts I'd say with 99.9% certainty that you can adjust the voltage to 1.9 volts (my old MSI k8neo did the same - undervolted by default), If you really are unsure you can try to find some RAM that comes stock at 1.8 volts. I tried to increase to 1.9v but the system even stop at POST